Last Daughter of Krypton: Legion IC

[Wyldfire]

Dawnstar, in the Hall of the Fallen.

Dawnstar had let herself out through the transit booth. She walked through the halls until her feet had found the hall of the Fallen. She walked to one certain statue. Looking up she sighed, it had been one of her first missions.

Lyle's death had started it, really. Condo had been a good friend of his and Lyle's death had hurt him badly. He was one of the Legionairres that Dawnstar had had an interest in. Aside from Wildfire, Valkyrie M-3, Fate, and herself, Condo was the newest member. Whe she had joined the team she'd begun making friends with him and he'd begun to come out of his shell again.

Then that fool, Councillor Deregon and the foul Dark Circle had tried to escalate Earth into World War VII. As if six hadn't been enough. Poor Condo was the only of the team that could have done anything. Nah hadn't been around for the mission and it was before Power girl or M'onel's time.

Wildfire had tried to get to the bomb, but the radiation had been exotic enough that even he couldn't get near it. Condo threw himself into the radiation using his power to control chemical reactions to partially abate the radiation. He had a choice at that point and he'd made the heroes' choice. He'd used his powers to end the element's half life at a highly accelerated rate.

Unfortunately, he had to put all of his attention to that and not on his own survival. Condo Arlik, the Chemical King, died from the radiation exposure. It wasn't a quick death. It hadn't dragged on too long, no, it couldn't have done that. If he'd been able to hold on for another week Brainiac Five would have saved him. As it was the treatment Brainiac developed was dubbed the Arlik process in honor of the man it had been created for.

She had led the hunt for Deregon with a murderous tenacity. He'd tried everything to slip out of her grasp. It had taken that bitch Nah to keep her from strangling the life out of Deregon. Wildfire too. As soon as they had him in she'd flown straight to Condo's bedside. She held his hand as his life ended.

Dawnstar's had carressed the face of the statue and a tear slid down her face. Condo had been her first real friend on the team, and since then she had been a bit distant from her teammates. If she stayed aloof she wouldn't get attached and go through this again. Never again.

 

[ChasNicollette]

Liz withdrew somewhat from that embrace, and smiled softly at the tears of her father.

The black that covered her eyes like lids faded once more, and then there was blue.

(M'onel recognised her, immediately.

But she had remained hidden in the blue box when her grandfather had given him to Querl.

And perhaps she wanted to keep her involvement in that affair a secret?

He could understand that. He recognised her, immediately, but of this he gave no outward sign.)

"It's a good thing," she murmured, "you and mom repealed my curfew when I started working with Uncle Bruce. Because otherwise? Well. My punctuality would leave a lot to be desired."

Brainy no longer seemed dubious. He seemed halfway intrigued, now.

"Am I to understand that this ringbearer," he mused, "was approximately coeval with Piltdown Lad?"

"'Co-evil?'" Garth blinked. "No, hang on, dude, pay attention: they're supposed to be good guys."

Brainiac rolled his eyes towards the ceiling. "Grife. Ranzz. 'Coeval.' Also, 'coetaneous,' or 'contemporaneous.'"

Garth paused, processed, then beckoned, expression serious: "No, no, keep going, I'll stop you when you say something that sounds remotely like InterLac."

That vein in Brainy's neck was lurching again. "They're from the same time period. Which is to say, the approximate era in which my original namesake and the progenitor of my digital aspect had his beginning in infamy."

"So," Jaymie processed, desperately trying to get a handle on the dialogue, "my great-something-grandfather and his daughter knew your great-something-grandfather?"

Querl's lip twitched in perfect time with that vein.

Did it always take this long to translate?

Minds. I never thought I'd say this.

...I miss Norg.

Not only could he speak Durlan and a galaxy of other languages, he had the only halfway respectable brain-case among the lot of you.

Aloud: "...yes."

Garth nodded easily. "Coulda said that in the first place."

 

[AmenRa]

Brande - Auditorium 3

Brande nodded. He fully intended to tell Cosmic Boy the whole story, when all of this calmed down. He had no doubt that Valkyrie M3 would find the story interesting, as well, seeing as how the story was about her family's lineage.

And Bruce. And Diana. And Kara.

"Which reminds me," Brande said to Cosmic Boy, "of the reason for the Green Lantern's mission to Earth. She seeks an individual on behalf of the Guardians of the Universe to fulfill the role of the Green Lantern of Sector 2814. She has asked that this person be reviewed for membership in the Legion as well."

Brande stroked his silvered mustache for a moment. "But, I will leave such a request for you and the others to discuss with her," he stated. He then made a show of looking at his pocket datapad. "I have someplace I'm supposed to be."

Brande didn't say goodbye to anyone as he slipped out of the auditorium. He made his way well away from others, from the security cameras, from the monitoring systems, and he shape-shifted into his true form.

J'onn became invisible and intangible. He passed through the ceiling and then rooftop of the L shaped Legion Headquarters, flying faster and faster to a destination far away.

Dusk was beginning to settle as he neared the once-American Northern Midwest. He flew low over reclaimed farmland, sprawling fields that were a testament to ancient traditions of fertile soils and robotic corn reapers. And then, the skyline and brightness of a vast cityscape that was his destination.

Gotham City.

J'onn flew to the East of the city, towards a hilltop that lay on what was once the outskirts. A thousand years of devolopement had enclosed the hill, but the house that stood that had remained untouched. It still stood, after all this time, cared for and maintained through a trust and fellowship.

But the house known as Wayne Mansion held no interest for the Martian Manhunter. It was what lay beneath it that was his ultimate destination.

 

[Abraxas Winterlight]

The Vatican

The Monsignor watched as the young woman walked in and approached. Making the formal greeting was a interesting touch too. These warriors from the outer rim did stand rather heavily on formalities.

"Stand child. While the formalities are appreciated, I would rather do this in interlac." He waited until she stood, then began pacing. The other two figures in the room watching him. One smiling, the other with no expression on his (or her, it was hard to tell) face.

"Now, the link I sent out specified that you were to return with all due haste and to present yourself to me. While I appreciate your eagerness to fulfill your orders, your execution of them leaves much to be desired."

He stopped pacing and fixed the young woman in his gaze. Much like a hawk fixing it's sight on the hare that was to be it's next meal.

"What under the Light made you think that an atmospheric free fall into a settled area was a good idea??? They usually do not give half a trillion credit battlesuits to idiots, but after that stunt I believe that the qualification tests need a overhaul!!! I had to pull some major strings to stop you from being turned into vapor in the upper ionosphere, and these are strings that should never have to be pulled, especially for something as idiotic as this!!! The militant arm of this church is a SECRET!! The Science Police does NOT like the idea of ANYONE besides them armed, and you just shouted that too the four corners of the galaxy!! I was lucky some of the higher members of the planetary defense council are of the faithful and trusted with enough information to recognize a Cosmic Knights energy signature! I am tempted to strip you of your rank and station, and put you to work doing missionary duty in the office of the UP council, but Daniel here said that it would be cruel and unusual punishment, even for me."

The brown haired young man smiled and nodded his head at the young warrior. The other still stood motionless.

"As it is, you are needed. There are four Knights left.Two are out of contact out on the rim, Knight Bianca is on maternity leave, it was a girl by the way, and she is just as beautiful as her mother, which leaves you Allana. Our youngest knight, and in the lead for our most foolish!"


"I think she has had enough flesh stripped off her backside Leonardo. You can chew on her some more, but we have no real choice. You have read the Book, as have I. She's needed." said the brown haired young man.

The Monsignor gave him a look, then sighed. "As you wish Daniel. I refer to your judgment."

The young man just smiled at the Monsignor, then walked over to the young knight.

"Hello, my name is Daniel, and you, Knight Kent, are going to join the Legion of Superheroes. The Scion of Shadow is back on his birth realm, the Graveyard Lord should be released within the hour, where we do not know, as that is written in the Book of the Damned, and The Adversary doesn't loan out his prophecies. OH, Gabriel there is a Archangel, here to protect me, and I am the Scion of Heaven. Now, do you have any questions, or shall we get to the reason you were brought here.?"

 

[Abraxas Winterlight]

Wraith

I smiled at my daughters words (my daughter was ALIVE!) and kissed the top of her head, not releasing my embrace, but loosening it a bit.

"Bruce insisted on complete control when we fostered you out to him. Besides, once Ceri started flying and Alec teleporting, we really couldn't stop you three from sneaking out after dark anyway."

I finally released her and stepped back, looking at my girl. "How Elizabeth? How are you still alive after all these years? What happened? Where did you go? How did you become a Lantern? I have so many questions I don't know where to begin."

 

[AmenRa]

The Cave

At first, there was darkness.

The Martian Manhunter became solid and corporeal once again as he descended to the dank floor of the enormous cavern beneath Wayne Mansion. His galactic eyes pierced the murky, inky blackness, and he looked upon a millenium of history.

Above him, high into the roof of the cavern, the cave dwellers nestled. But now, as they prepared to rise and fly for the coming night, they were startled into waking by a presence in the cave. They dropped down, a few at first, but then hundreds, then thousands, descending upon the Martian who had intruded upon their solitude.

The Martian Manhunter reached out to them, touching their small minds with his psychic power. They were curious, and they meant him no harm. He stood there motionless, his arms outstretched as the bats fluttered and flitted around him. They flew around him in a maelstrom of leathery wings, piercing cries, and breath that stank of dead things. This lasted only a short moment, for soon they had learned all they needed to know of this being, and they could no longer leave the call of the hunt unanswered. They left J'onn alone in the darkness, flying from the cave into the coming night.

And then, one by one, great LED lights tucked into fixtures suspended from the roof came on. J'onn saw the giant penny first, and then the T. Rex, and then a giant playing card taken from the Joker. All were trophies of the Dark Knight's battles, and each had its own story. Other lights came on, one shining down onto the black vehicle someone had called the Batmobile, now dusty and still, it's tires dry-rotted until only the iridium wheels remained. J'onn looked to the other wall, where he knew a lead-lined vault contained a store of Kryptonite, collected by the Batman for safe-keeping lest it be used against Supergirl.

The Martian Manhunter turned again, looking onto a row of clear display cases. Within these were the Batsuits, every design subtlely different, but all holding the bat symbol on their chests. There were a few others, like the original Robin costume, and a few others from the Batman's friends and foes.

J'onn walked up to the one he knew the most, the one suit that he most often associated with Bruce Wayne. He stood there for a long moment, his red eyes scanning the costume, remembering every detail, every scallop in the cape, every joint where armor met armor.

At last, he spoke, his sandy voice soft in the dimness.

"It has been a long time, old friend. I have neglected coming to this place for some time," he said to the suit. "It is, it has been, difficult for me to want to remember the past. Now, I wish I had come before.

"I have spent the last centuries hiding, Bruce. It was necessary, and of all people I know you would understand this. It was always our mission to keep the ones we cared about seperate from our lives as lawgivers. As you know, sometimes this is impossible to do. Sometimes, the best thing one can do is remove themselves from the equation, so their enemies no longer seek them, and the world, and worlds, they protect are spared, and their ideals and principles pass to the posterity of new generations of lawgivers.

"Now, old friends, old faces, have returned. Wraith has re-spawned from his millenium of darkness, and Liz, now a Green Lantern, has come home. While this is good news, and happy news, I can not help but feel their return heralds a dark time for us. It is a feeling I can not pinpoint, yet I know it is more than just my own persuasion toward prophecy and superstition.

"I have spent the last years building a Legion of Superheroes. A new order of lawgivers that uphold the legacy and principles we once fought so hard to protect. They are, inasmuch as I am ancient, children. They are, though, full of the same spirit and unyielding promises that I remember seeing in your eyes so long ago in that first meeting between you and I."

J'onn was silent for a moment. Then, he continued, "I hold much fear now, that soon I must reveal myself once again to the world, and enemies anew will seek to destroy everything that I know and care for. Perhaps, it is my time again, a time when I shall bring even greater strength to an alliance that already stands without measure. I know I shall not undertake such a task alone. I just wish...." J'onn let out a breath. "I just wish you were with us, Bruce. You and I have shared counsel on more than one occasion, and your insight has always provided me with valuable solutions."

J'onn J'onzz stared the suit fully in the face of its half-masked cowl. "I miss you, my friend."

 

[Wyldfire]

Ultra girl. Bored bored bored.

Oh bloody nass! Jo'd seen better holosoaps than this. It was getting all historical and crap. First we got the relic getting the big brains all cycled up, then we find out Val is indeed related to this dude. She'd missed the only fun part of it all when Old dude tried to smack Brainy into another century.

Now we were to the huggy kissy part (Tinya was a really good kisser.). whoa whoa whoa. E-sprocking-nuff of that kinda thought. Jo started twitching and pacing a bit. This was rediculous, after all, Tinya was the one that sprocking dumped her not the other way around (Everyone thought it woulda been Jo doing the dumping, after all she's got the attention span of a gnat.) Stop that.

She looked about at the happy little scene and said "Hey guys, I got an idea here. Why don't we let the family do thier reunion thing and the rest of us can go back to other stuff. Like Brainy getting back to his lab and blowing something up or making the next big killer robot or something."

 

[ChasNicollette]

The Cave

All things in this world pass away.

But there are other worlds than these.

And when Bruce Wayne passed beyond the veil of this world, it was, quite frankly, under circumstances more mysterious and bewildering than the most of men. There were many amongst his brethren that said, like King Arthur, Wayne would come again. The Dark Knight could not be stopped by mere death.

There were those who said he'd been cast to the winds of time, his spirit torn from his body. And that if anyone could find their way back from this, it was The Detective.

And there were those who waited.

But all things in this world pass away, and even those who waited for Bruce Wayne to return eventually faded from memory. For the most part.

He was a man.

He was just a man.

...but he was also a Legend, and in his time he faced and brushed up against a myriad of things and a myriad of people.

When J'onn J'onzz solidified in The Cave, he awakened two things.

One was a chamber arranged like a bed. A cylinder with blue flashing lights which opened without making a sound, deep deep in the caverns of The Cave.

Another was a minuscule cube of gleaming metal, interwoven with teknoactive circuitry infinitely complex. It was clinging to life, because it was alive.

And when J'onn fell silent, there with his eyes making contact with the lenses of that cowl...

...the cube raised its voice in gentle supplication, with clarity and grace.

PING.
PING.
PING.

And there, beside the case in which was preserved Bruce Wayne's most formidable Batsuit, there flickered to holographic life a man with a cane.

Bruce. As he had been in his last days of Monitor Duty on The Watchtower, too old to continue the fight but still very much possessed of The Spirit of The Bat.

He wore an old suit, and his silver hair was slicked back, and he leaned heavily on that cane.

New Genesis technology. A synaptic fragment stored in a Motherbox that had been a gift from a friend.

A silver white eyebrow climbed his forehead, and a thin blue light encircled the fringes of him, outlined him, quick little pixelated hiccups of static.

"J'onzz," greeted the digital ghost of Bruce Wayne.

His voice was just as granite hard as when he'd been a younger man, though salted with the wisdom of age.

He glanced around himself, as if verifying something, and then swung his gaze back onto The Martian.

"My cognition in this form is limited," he mused. "But I know enough to know that I have missed you, too. And if there ever is something you need, I'll burn myself out to provide it."

He processed for a moment. "Secret identities are a difficult business. I remember when I first donned a mask. It was uncomfortable: there were those I had to trust because I had no choice, immediately immediately my greatest enemy knew already who I was. I had to abandon people I might have cared about."

Bruce shrugged, smiled faintly. "But there will always be enemies, J'onn. They don't need to know who we are to be a threat to those we cherish. My parents were slain because of their public profile, their value to the people of Gotham, but it could just as easily have been a random mugging. When they learn our true selves, that just becomes an excuse, that just becomes a notion their diseased and cowardly and superstitious minds latch onto. When it was important, when trust was at stake and lives were at stake, I told others who I was. When they had proven themselves."

The eyes hardened and flickered bluer for a moment. "Sounds like your 'Legion' has proven itself. But it's still a risk. It's always a risk. But tactics, J'onn, were ever your strongest suit. Tactically, does the risk outweigh the reward?"

He paused again, and processed again. "Wraith is back. And Liz. Greystone. A Green Lantern? Long lifespan. Might have known she'd get a metagene out of that cauldron of a family. She always was a survivor, never did entirely give up hope that she was out there somewhere. Must be nice to have her back."

...and there was a longer pause, as he processed harder still...

...and the faintest smirk disturbed the crag of his lips. "J'onn. Is this about the girl?"

 

[ChasNicollette]

J'o--

Brande had left.

And her father had as many questions for her, easily, as she did for him.

But.

The girl with the gang colours on her chest was exactly right. This wasn't a thing for public display. This wasn't something to throw out from the Metropolis rooftops for all the world to see.

Liz, traditionally, was a very private person. Twice today that facade had cracked wide open, but she gently fettered herself anew, and withdrew from her father's embrace, and restored the black shadows over her corneas.

"Of course," she nodded to Ultra Girl. "You have my apologies for causing an awkward moment, one which really should have been kept amongst family. In my defence, I hardly expected such a reunion."

A faint whisper of a smile danced across her lips, and she glanced at her father.

"Later," she promised. "We could have dinner?"

Jaymie opened her mouth, and closed it again, and a sad smile crept up around her scarlet eyes.

Technically, she considered, but said not aloud, ain't I family, too?

I could eat dinner.

But no, but no, sprock no, this was bigger than her, and really she was only a genealogical footnote to them, some big blue improbable.

She looked away.

"Whaddaya think, Cos?" Garth wondered, momentarily introspective. "Shall we leave these to their doings? I got fish to fry, and 'Sultry Ultry' wasn't wrong, it has been a few hours since Brainy last doomed us all by meddling in affairs not meant for mortal comprehension."

"Coluans have a genetically-enhanced maturation rate," Brainy harrumphed cooly. "The term 'mortal' is very nearly not applicable."

"Thaaaaat explains it," Lightning Lad grinned. "'Close but no cigar.'"

"Hnfh," Querl sniffed. "I suppose my own historical soliloquy can wait for another time. (Now that we mention it, I do need to fix my forcefield belt.)"

"I think between Fate's diplomacy," M'onel nodded to the mystic, and then to Caroline, "and Powergirl's fantastic right cross, I think we can be fairly assured that Wraith will no longer try to truncate that fancy Coluan lifespan."

He smirked faintly. "At the very least, he's now no more dangerous to Brainy than Brainy is."

Brainy darkened, and strode up to M'onel, and poked the Daxamite in his invulnerable chest. "Don't think it's escaped my perceptions that you seem to get mouthier in the presence of certain Ultra-powered females and beautiful blonde Kryptonian hybrids. Bit of a show-off, are we?"

M'onel blinked. --'beautiful blonde Kryptonian,' this was a Hell of a button for Brainy to push for him.

And he wondered if it wasn't a Hell of a button for Brainy to push for himself.

Are you... jealous?

"Querl--" he attempted.

But Brainiac Five wheeled away.

"Sprock you," Brainiac grunted. "Collectively. Sprock every last picoscopically-brained one of you. I'll be in my lab."

And he stormed out, very desperately careful to not look at Caroline again as he left.

Jaymie blinked. "Well. That was."

She glanced at Ultra Girl. "Talk of explosions aside, that's the first time I've seen Brainy spontaneously combust."

 

[AmenRa]

He paused again, and processed again. "Wraith is back. And Liz. Greystone. A Green Lantern? Long lifespan. Might have known she'd get a metagene out of that cauldron of a family. She always was a survivor, never did entirely give up hope that she was out there somewhere. Must be nice to have her back."

...and there was a longer pause, as he processed harder still...

...and the faintest smirk disturbed the crag of his lips. "J'onn. Is this about the girl?"

In the dimness of the Batcave, J'onn J'onzz smiled. He remembered a time long ago, when he and Bruce were considering a rather perplexing series of murders. They were brainstorming, as it were, with each of them throwing theories to the other, each doing their hardest thinking to conjur up a clue of motive and reason behind the crimes. At one point, Bruce said, almost word-for-word, a theory that J'onn had formulated. The Martian had jockingly admonished Bruce, who had no telepathic abilities, to stay out of his mind.

It seemed now that this artificial construct of Bruce Wayne's consciousness was doing the same thing.

J'onn simply said, "Yes. It is about her." He then said something that the Batman probably already knew. "I lost her once, and I have been alone since that time. One really does not know what one has until it is gone. I will not be alone again."

 

[ChasNicollette]

It was true: Bruce had no faculty for the psychic, save perhaps the occasional foray into autohypnosis. And neither, despite the occasional digital telepathy exhibited by Motherbox technology, did this construct.

But Bruce Wayne had been The World's Greatest Detective. And he had had a long long life to observe the phenomenon of Martian body language, a lesson, once upon a time, he had also invested in Liz Greystone. Though Liz had never been as good at it as Bruce.

He might be synthetic, this Bruce, but he wasn't stupid.

He trusted his hunches.

And he understood loneliness.

Chloe. Vicki. Selena.

Rachel.

Vesper.

...and others.

"Do what you need to do," he said simply. "She's not helpless. She's lived this long. She has training from a formidable warrior of Shadow, and I like to think my own education in tactics and combat was hardly paltry in that regard. And now she has on her finger one of the most powerful weapons in The Universe."

Old old brows bunched upon his forehead. "Things happen. Bad things. They just... happen. I'm far too old and set in my ways to start believing in Destiny or in a rhyme and reason to this existence. To second-guess that is madness. Don't let them hold you back, J'onn. Be who you need to be, do what you need to do, and trust that the people with whom you have surrounded youself, the people whom you have taken under your wing... they're not helpless.

"Live your life."

"I'll be here if you need me."

...and then in a shimmer of blue sparks and a
PING.
PING.
PING.
he was gone.

And a single footfall caressed the stony floor behind J'onn. Almost too quiet for him to hear, and that was saying something.

"Martian. Thought extinct."

Her voice was dark. Like the rolling of necklace pearls across the cobbles of an alley.

She wore red, and she wore gold, and she wore black.

Slender. Muscled. The build of a dancer, of an athlete, of a martial artist.

She wore a red hooded cape lined with gold, and a full face mask of red, the lenses of which were eyeless white. Her gloves were red, her boots were plazmetalloid red with gold on the soles.

There was black on the tights that climbed her legs. And on the upper right side of her red tunic was an emblem that J'onn would surely recognise.

An "R," a golden "R," set against a circle of black.

Just like the tattoo between Ceri McCrimmon's shoulder-blades, once upon a time. An ancient symbol.

It had since become the symbol of Robin the Wonder, sometime partner to The Bat. And it seemed that this was one thing that had not yet passed away.

She wore a yellow utility belt.

Two quivers of red-fletched arrows adorned her back, a red longbow across her chest.

Sheathed at her thighs were twin wakizashi, adorned with Kanji and Kryptonese.

And holstered at her hips were twin guns. 1924-era Colt 45 Automatics M1911A1, if J'onn's powerful eyes were to look closely. And these were engraved, ever-so-tiny, with the initials "L.W.T." on each butt, and the phrase "qui vindicet ibit" along each gun-barrel.

She flexed her hands, gloved fists.

"He trusted you."

"Or seemed to."

"Doesn't trust anyone."

Her hand went to her hip. Touched the gun there.

"Thermite in belt."

"Guns are magic; fire magic bullets."

"Fair warning."

She tilted her head.

"I take care of the place while The Master is away."

 

[AmenRa]

"I take care of the place while The Master is away."

J'onn heard that last words spoken by the construct. Bruce said for J'onn to live his life. And he intended to do just that. And, Bruce had told the Martian Manhunter that he would be here, in the cave, should J'onn need him. That in itself was all the reassurance needed.

And then, something interesting happened. Someone appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, but the Martian Manhunter knew she had been there the whole time.

Listening. Watching. Waiting.

"Indeed," J'onn told her, "as I am sure it is needed. Of course," he opened his arms, gesturing around the murky and dusty gloom of the cavern, "this place has always lacked a certain touch only a woman can bring."

He looked at her, then, turning his head to the side not unlike the way a dog does when listening to its master. She wore a uniform not unlike certain allies of the Dark Knight once donned. J'onn understood her, then, and he also realized she was potentially dangerous to anyone who meant harm in this most sacred of sanctuaries.

"I am J'onn J'onzz," he announced. "And as much as I was a friend to the Batman, so I am yours. It appears that I need not to introduce myself to you, because it appears you already know enough about me to know who and what I am. I can assure you I intrude here simply as a friend needing the counsel of a friend, and nothing more. I come in peace," he said, his voice, although quiet and meaningful, echoed throughout the vast cave.

He looked down upon her with curiosity. "Who are you?" he asked.

 

[Wyldfire]

"Whaddaya think, Cos?" Garth wondered, momentarily introspective. "Shall we leave these to their doings? I got fish to fry, and 'Sultry Ultry' wasn't wrong, it has been a few hours since Brainy last doomed us all by meddling in affairs not meant for mortal comprehension."

"Coluans have a genetically-enhanced maturation rate," Brainy harrumphed cooly. "The term 'mortal' is very nearly not applicable."

"Thaaaaat explains it," Lightning Lad grinned. "'Close but no cigar.'"

"Hnfh," Querl sniffed. "I suppose my own historical soliloquy can wait for another time. (Now that we mention it, I do need to fix my forcefield belt.)"

"I think between Fate's diplomacy," M'onel nodded to the mystic, and then to Caroline, "and Powergirl's fantastic right cross, I think we can be fairly assured that Wraith will no longer try to truncate that fancy Coluan lifespan."

He smirked faintly. "At the very least, he's now no more dangerous to Brainy than Brainy is."

Brainy darkened, and strode up to M'onel, and poked the Daxamite in his invulnerable chest. "Don't think it's escaped my perceptions that you seem to get mouthier in the presence of certain Ultra-powered females and beautiful blonde Kryptonian hybrids. Bit of a show-off, are we?"

M'onel blinked.

"Querl--" he attempted.

But Brainiac Five wheeled away.

"Sprock you," Brainiac grunted. "Collectively. Sprock every last picoscopically-brained one of you. I'll be in my lab."

And he stormed out, very desperately careful to not look at Caroline again as he left.

Jaymie blinked. "Well. That was."

She glanced at Ultra Girl. "Talk of explosions aside, that's the first time I've seen Brainy spontaneously combust."

Jo almost lost it. Almost absosprockinglutely lost it. This was the most animated she'd ever seen Brainy get. And it was stiff lipped M'on's fault too. Well maybe just maybe Jo'd earn the assist for it.

"Oh, I think M'on might have hit a weakness we may or may not have known of Brainy's," she turned and gave M'on a smile. "But he do go thermal very nicely Val. Breakfast? I do think it's time for us to be off shift."

She looked at the rest of her team mates and noticed as usual Garth gravitating towards Imra. Imra was about as far removed from Tinya as one could get. And maybe, just maybe, Jo was in the mood to stir a little more junk. Shooting a wink at Imra she said "Ya know Garth, one of these days I might just have to give you a run for Imra's affections."

 

[ChasNicollette]

He looked down upon her with curiosity. "Who are you?" he asked.

"I am The Remnant," she replied.

"Know your species. Stasis chamber incorporates Machin-based biofeedback learning enhancement and Saint Dumas posthypnotic implantation."

"Educated."

"Know that Green is 'good.' Will. Courage. Peace."

"Know that Pale is 'bad.' Destruction. Domination. Manipulation."

"Know that Pales were imprisoned by Last Green Martian and a Green Lantern in Ever-Burning-Wastes just beyond The Silver Devastation."

"Also know that Green can disguise as Pale, and vice versa."

"Also know that Green is supposed to be all gone now."

"Don't do anything Pale."

The silence with which she moved was eerie. Even the air currents nudged by her cape were inaudible.

She did not quite have the confidence and grace of Val Armorr, but there was a furtive, animalistic ferocity to her movements. Like a Bird of Prey.

"I have seen The Master."

"He comes and he goes."

"He is making ready his return."

"He is not here now; only 'master' here is the ghost."

"Like Zor-El in Legendary Fortress of Solitude."

"I do not think the ghost likes me much."

"Do not have to be liked."

"Exist to keep his memory safe."

"Sole purpose of existence."

"The Remnant protects that which is good in this world. Even when it leaves the world, The Remnant protects it. In case it comes back."

"Like Supergirl, died and back again. Like The Once and Future King. Like Valor. Like... Green Martian, apparently."

"That which is truly good in this world is truly rare and must never be truly lost."

"I take care of the place while The Master is away."

 

[ChasNicollette]

Jo almost lost it. Almost absosprockinglutely lost it. This was the most animated she'd ever seen Brainy get. And it was stiff lipped M'on's fault too. Well maybe just maybe Jo'd earn the assist for it.

"Oh, I think M'on might have hit a weakness we may or may not have known of Brainy's," she turned and gave M'on a smile.

M'onel seemed a bit stricken. A bit rooted to the spot.

And he returned Ultra Girl's smile with a wary, wan smirk of his own.

"And here I thought lead poisoning was bad."

"But he do go thermal very nicely Val. Breakfast? I do think it's time for us to be off shift."

"Thermonuclear," Jaymie nodded slowly, tucking a lock of her pale blue hair back behind her ear with one hand, while making a sort of "poof!" visual gesture with the other. It seemed like she was still a little bit shocked.

She gave Wraith and Green Lantern another long lingering look, and then nodded more firmly. "Breakfast. I could eat breakfast."

Yeah, Cos had just ordered food up here, but that was probably just standard Continental stuff and "Val" prefered something a little more scorching to start her day. Huevos rancheros, definitely.

She looked at the rest of her team mates and noticed as usual Garth gravitating towards Imra. Imra was about as far removed from Tinya as one could get. And maybe, just maybe, Jo was in the mood to stir a little more junk. Shooting a wink at Imra she said "Ya know Garth, one of these days I might just have to give you a run for Imra's affections."

Garth glanced quickly down at the hand that held Imra's and he blinked, utterly puzzled.

"What, wait, why?" he pursed his lips. "You never showed any interest in me before!"

VM3 grinned sheepishly, lopsidedly: "That's, um. Not what she's saying. She's saying that. Other way 'round. Imra."

Garth looked like he'd been kicked in the kidney and that this kick had totally taken him by surprise. "Oh."

The blush conflagrated on his cheeks. "Oh."

He glanced at Imra. And then at Jo. And then back again.

"She's not. Into that."

He hesitated, gazing at Imra, sounding almost kind of hopeful. "Uh. Is, uh, is she?"

A smirk fluttered across Jaymie's lips, eclipsing the smile.

Oh, he really was adorable. He really was. They all were.

"Good work," she quipped, finding her conversational footing again for the first time since that story poured out between her lips, "'Sultry Ultry.' I think you short-circuited the lightning-caster."

 

[ChasNicollette]

Caroline stood there for a moment, stunned into silence.

On one level, she was a little offended. The first real surge of emotion she'd ever seen in Brainy, and it was... it was a little primitive. Primitive and chauvinistic.

If he'd said "keep your meat hooks offa my girl," she'd almost have been less surprised.

There was jealousy there. Testosterone and territorialism, like Brin teasing Jo about Tinya.

But there was also. An odd kind of. Sweetness? Chivalry?

Like there were positive motivations there that had no idea how to express themselves in a halfway human fashion.

And then Brainy was gone, and she stood there in jeans and a t-shirt and she stared after him.

Watched him go, watched him through the wall, inescapable X-Ray eyes.

They'd always been friendly. Gotten each other's backs.

(Just like two-fisted Wraith-bashing.)

And every time she'd asked him to explain the scientific basis for one of her powers, he'd always had a theory handy.

She stood there for an interminable moment, and she watched him through the wall.

What's on your mind, genius? she wondered. What's really really on your mind?

And then in an instant and a scattering of the air, she was gone, vanished from where she stood--

--she was skidding to a halt in front of Brainiac 5 and it was really hard to stop and she had to put out a hand against the wall and nearly scraped a bulkhead clean off.

But she stopped, and she held her side, and she straightened in front of him.

In front of Brainiac Five.

Who had covered his face with his hand and was cursing audibly visibly physically at himself.

But he stopped up short, there, lowering his hand from those green green eyes as he stared into her blue blue gaze. He looked uncomprehending and bewildered.

"Powergirl?" he froze, he stopped right short, right there, and he bit his lip. He glanced back over his shoulder, and then at her, and it seemed he didn't know what to say.

Caroline "Powergirl" Harrison could empathise with that.

She smiled faintly. "It's hard, isn't it? Being the latest in a long line of legends."

Brainiac Five hesitated. "My predecessors' exploits were hardly--"

But Caroline smiled that faint faint wistful knowing smile and she shook her head. "They were legendary. Just not, you know, good legends."

Querl chewed this over for a moment. "They could have been gods. But instead they were bogeymen. Boggarts in the wardrobes of my world. Not like yours."

She crossed her arms over her stomach and she nodded briskly, smoothly. "Yeah. My ancestors were legends. My mom and dad thought for sure I'd take the name 'Supergirl,' carry on the legend proud. But that's... that's the heaviest weight of the world that anyone can lift. The pressure and intimidation of that sort of... legend. I had to change my name, I couldn't deal with that. But I've still got the whole House of El monkey on my back."

He touched the part of the bulkhead she'd crumpled by brushing it with her fingers. "This, then, becomes the thought experiment: is it harder to maintain and improve a legend set by a goddess and her pantheon, or to redeem a legend set by a monster and his spawn?"

Caroline's face scrunched a little bit. "Yeah. Semantics, I guess. Does it really matter which is actually harder? I mean. Either way... either way, it's the toughest thing either of us have ever faced."

Querl lowered his hand. Retrieved it to his side. And didn't quite look at her.

"Second toughest," he murmured.

And Caroline reached out, and gently but firmly nudged his chin so that his eyes met hers again.

"What's the toughest thing for you, Brainy?" she gently firmly pressed him, searching his face, there as she gently firmly held his chin.

Brainy opened his mouth, and then shut it again, and the words died in his throat and his thoughts drowned in her eyes.

Time stopped.

 

[Varshanka]

Vatican - Knight Allana Lang

Choosing not to correct Daniel, She accepted his error in her name. A common mistake many not of the principality made.

So, she herself hadn’t been selected for this mission. She was the last one on the list. What heartening news, she thought sarcastically.

A mission requiring the skills and talents of a Knight of the Order. But she was the last on the list. Wonderful. Choosing to ignore the Monsignor’s tirade, after all he didn’t ask her a specific question that he wanted an answer for. She’d followed her orders, perhaps a tad to closely to the letter of them, instead of the intent, but they had said ‘With ALL possible speed.’

She didn’t look at the one identified as a Celestial, to do so would have been improper. Instead she focused her eyes on Daniel. “Who will be in Command of this Legion? Is it a full complement Legion, of Six thousand troops? I would appreciate troop counts, artillery weapon counts, support units. Whatever data is available would be appreciated.”

She wasn’t sure what a superhero was, perhaps a legion of Full Knights?

“But I digress. Other than specifics of my placement with this Legion, how may I assist the Vatican?”

 

[Abraxas Winterlight]

Legion HQ

"Breakfast sounds good. I'll meet you guys there in a few, just going to get our guest here somewhere to sleep." said Cosmic Boy


*Imra, you listening?*

*Yeah Cos, what do you need?*

*Tell everyone that after breakfast I want a meeting of all members at 10 AM. Also, I want you, me & Garth to meet at 11. Lanterns are notorious for working alone, and I'm not sure having one in the Legion is the best idea. I want to talk it over with you two before we talk to her.*

*Gotcha. I'll take care of it.*

*Thanks Imra. And I won't even tell Garth about talking to you in your bedtime clothes.*

The young Titanian rolled her eyes at Cos. *BEHAVE ROKK!* Then she caught the tail end of Ultra Girl's conversation and blushed. (Garth's obvious confusion was not lost on her.) this was just too good to pass up!

"I don't know Garth. I mean, she has seen me in the shower you know."

Cos just chuckled as Imra quipped with the others and Garth looked confused.

"Autobutler, assign Wraith guest quarters and a guest pass, level 'C' clearance."

With that he made his way to the cafeteria and the much needed morning caff. This was probably going to be the most lively breakfast he had experienced in a long time.

 

[Abraxas Winterlight]

Wraith

"Definitely dinner. And later I would like to meet the rest of my family. I haven't forgotten about you Jaymie. Now, I need some time with a computer or at least some history books or something. I have lots of catching up to do.

I gave my daughter one last hug and a kiss on her forehead, then followed the robot to my quarters, dropped my bag, and then started harassing the computer (which thankfully was voice operated) to start giving me a extended history lesson.

 

[AmenRa]

Remnants

The Martian Manhunter had already figured out a bit about this Remnant before she had finished speaking.

This discovery came in two parts.

The first, was, well, she wasn't exactly working on all thrusters, as some of his Legionaires would put it.

The second, was, the fact of the first part's existence made her dangerous.

But, there was the fact she believed in what she was doing, protecting the cave and its possessions. And J'onn could find no fault in that, at all.

The Martian Manhunter rose into the air.

"I take my leave of you and this place," he told her, "but should my assistance be required, there is a means by which to contact me hidden within this cave. Your master will know where." He then nodded goodbye to her and ascended rapidly towards the dark recesses of the cave's roof, through which he passes intangibly, and continued on into the night.

The Martian Manhunter turned from the upcoming coastline of the Great Lakes, and headed towards Legion Headquarters at speeds that surely should earn him citations.

Only, though, they would have to be able to see him to cite him.

 

[ChasNicollette]

The Martian left.

He rose like deus ex machina, going back to his Olympian home in The Heavens.

Mars. Olympus.

Within shouting distance of Valhalla.

Metaphorically speaking.

The Remnant watched him rise, watched him go.

And stared up into the stalagtites for a long moment after he'd gone.

"Hurm."

She lowered her head and rubbed her chin with her gloved palm.

"'Means to contact.'"

She glanced in the direction of The Master's armour.

"What did he mean by that?"

There came a silence.

And then a faintly digital hum, and
PING.
PING.
PING.
and a bodiless voice echoed from the depths, sounding more weary than anything: "Go back to bed, Carrie."

The Remnant digested this for a moment.

"Hhh."

And then returned to her stasis chamber.

 

[Wyldfire]

Ultra brat at it some more.

"Breakfast sounds good. I'll meet you guys there in a few, just going to get our guest here somewhere to sleep." said Cosmic Boy


*Imra, you listening?*

*Yeah Cos, what do you need?*

*Tell everyone that after breakfast I want a meeting of all members at 10 AM. Also, I want you, me & Garth to meet at 11. Lanterns are notorious for working alone, and I'm not sure having one in the Legion is the best idea. I want to talk it over with you two before we talk to her.*

*Gotcha. I'll take care of it.*

*Thanks Imra. And I won't even tell Garth about talking to you in your bedtime clothes.*

Garth glanced quickly down at the hand that held Imra's and he blinked, utterly puzzled.

"What, wait, why?" he pursed his lips. "You never showed any interest in me before!"

VM3 grinned sheepishly, lopsidedly: "That's, um. Not what she's saying. She's saying that. Other way 'round. Imra."

Garth looked like he'd been kicked in the kidney and that this kick had totally taken him by surprise. "Oh."

The blush conflagrated on his cheeks. "Oh."

He glanced at Imra. And then at Jo. And then back again.

"She's not. Into that."

He hesitated, gazing at Imra, sounding almost kind of hopeful. "Uh. Is, uh, is she?"

A smirk fluttered across Jaymie's lips, eclipsing the smile.

Oh, he really was adorable. He really was. They all were.

"Good work," she quipped, finding her conversational footing again for the first time since that story poured out between her lips, "'Sultry Ultry.' I think you short-circuited the lightning-caster."

The young Titanian rolled her eyes at Cos. *BEHAVE ROKK!* Then she caught the tail end of Ultra Girl's conversation and blushed. (Garth's obvious confusion was not lost on her.) this was just too good to pass up!

"I don't know Garth. I mean, she has seen me in the shower you know."

Jo grinned a grin that would be more at home on Londo's face and said "Anytime she needs her back washed all she's ever gotta do is ask."

Cos just chuckled as Imra quipped with the others and Garth looked confused.

"Autobutler, assign Wraith guest quarters and a guest pass, level 'C' clearance."

With that he made his way to the cafeteria and the much needed morning caff. This was probably going to be the most lively breakfast he had experienced in a long time.

Jo threw a very lewd wink at Imra and then threw an arm around Valkyrie, leading the Jaymie towards the cafeteria. She knew she had Garth's brain warping, probably M'on's too. Jo had to consider M'on carefully. A blush almost came to her cheeks as she thought about it really hard for a moment remembering her default power was indeed invulnerability. There were possibilities.

"Gotta love those group shower nights huh Val? All of us girls all wet and soapy," the devil came into her eye. "You guys ever have nights like that Garth?"

 

[Lunaramblings]

It took Jonah some moments to digest what M'onel had said. Jonah accepted the ring back and nodded.

"Thank you M'onel. I suppose. Well. Ok."

So much was going on around the room. Brainy stormed out, then there was a wave of innuendo that Jonah barely caught the end of.

Did she just say group shower night? Jonah thought to himself as he was never so glad to be wearing a helm.

"Perhaps I should stay here more often. Seems more interesting than my tower."

Wildfire had stood and listened to all of this. He was confused. He was a descendant of the Tennylson line himself. Is this really his great-great-great-great-great uncle? Who knows about this? Is Fate aware of the relation? Cos knows of course. Imra and Garth too. But did anyone else know the true name of ERG-1?

Wildfire stifled a chuckle as Brainy had a meltdown and stormed off. Then Powergirl was after him. This was too good. If there was one thing Wildfire loved it was harassing Brainy.

Wildfire watched through the wall as Powergirl caught up to him. Then he was off. He kept back out of sight but listened in. as they finished talking Wildfire couldn't help himself.

"Yeah baby! Give 'em some sugar!" If Wildfire had a face... it woudl have been peeled back in the biggest grin. Unfortunately he would have to settle.

 

[ChasNicollette]

Stepping Out on The Town.

The rebels, the adorable brigands, they were dispersing.

Her father had gone to get his head on straight, and she could hardly blame him.

The leader had left, the others were either lost in introspection or engaging in some rather naughty witty banter.

The timing was perfect to change the world.

And thus, while all the attention in the room was off of her, Green Lantern simply... left.

It didn't take much juice out of the Ring. She didn't even have to take it out of standby mode. It was just a way of thinking, a perfect extrapolation of her original training into training at the hands of, say, Kilowog.

Maybe some of the superperceptive amongst the Legionnaires would detect her doing this. Particularly the energy-sensitives.

But really, it was like the Ring had taken a particularly deep breath while sleeping.

...if they looked around, they would simply find her gone.

She had promises to keep.

And it was only moments after this that a woman in a long dark coat, a green scarf, black shirt and pants and white gloves was flagging down a taxi on Theodore Knight Boulevard and nodding a grateful nod at the cabbie, twinkling blue eyes.

"Time Institute, please," she requested politely. "And I shall double your rate if you get me there expediently."

The gentleman behind the steering column arched an eyebrow, his accent distinctly downtown Xanth Prime. "You got it, lady. You in a hurry ta get to the future, or something?"

"Best way to get to the future is by waiting," Liz replied, wisely, inscrutably. "Myself I'm trying to be mindful of this present."

Cabbie popped a cigar in between his teeth and pulled away from the walkway, rising into the tides of traffic. "Man. Shoulda been a Zen cabbie, fares like you."

Liz leaned back into the seat, chuckled faintly. "Coulda woulda shoulda."

 

[ChasNicollette]

Jo grinned a grin that would be more at home on Londo's face and said "Anytime she needs her back washed all she's ever gotta do is ask."

Garth really did look as though someone had suddenly switched him from DC to AC and not warned him before hand. He looked like he'd blown a fuse, tripped every last circuit breaker on the board.

"I, uh," his jaw worked, made no sound, "uh, I--"

The faintest smirk tinged the corner of M'onel's lip.

Yes. His blood was boiling. The idea, the innuendo, the...

His blood was rushing in his superacute ears.

It had been a long time for him. A long time and no time at all.

(He suddenly realised he could probably do with some air.)

"Gotta love those group shower nights huh Val? All of us girls all wet and soapy," the devil came into her eye. "You guys ever have nights like that Garth?"

Garth paused, and rubbed the back of his head, and the static from his hand sparked and made his hair stand up and his cyborg hand twitch.

"Can't say that we--" he mumbled, shaking his head, "usually there's just poker and magno-ball, Cham does the one-man-band thing for jollies, we really don't--"

M'onel paused only to glance at the spot where Liz Greystone had stood, and then strode forward and clapped Garth on the back and on the chest, smirking that debonair smirk.

"Mister Ranzz here is just too modest to admit," Lar drawled, "that the first time we boys all dropped trou behind closed doors we had to swear never again, because he humbled us so badly."

Garth looked at Lar and the smell of burning ozone filled the room. "Wait. What?"

M'onel chuckled, and headed for the door, winking at Imra and then nodding, chivalrously, to Jo. But as he nodded, he couldn't resist one last crack: "Farmworld like Winath, they don't grow anything small."

Perhaps adorably, "Val" looked verly nearly as shocked as Garth.

But then she swallowed hard and put her game face on.

"Well, then," she attempted, gamely, though perhaps lamely, "it's a good thing Jo just tilled his imagination, because, uh, there's plenty of fertile ground to-- for him to--" she hesitated, and blushed as red as her eyes. "--plough."

She paused. And cringed.

And looked at Jo. "Okay. Ultra-speed, please, kill me now?"